Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-10
In A QUANDARY.
THE AUTHORITIES OF TIE HoRTH
CAROLINA PEHIrEHrIARY.
Attempt to Burn schoolhouse-Pishsr-
men Catching Birds-A Sharp
Lawyer.
rspocIal teIerrsm % the pispatch. !

Especial telegram to tho Dispatch.l
RALEIGH, n. c.. March Sit was as
certained to-day that the total number
of bills passed by the Legislature was
sos and OF resolutions Al. This ex-
ceeds the usual number considerably.
State-Treasurer Balm, speaking To-
day of the United States Supreme
Court decision in the matter Of drum
mers' Iicense.taxes, said that all he
knew of the matter was contained in
the press dispatches. II the decision is
as reported North Carolina will lose
SS5, GOO. With the present condition
Of affairs this will result in increasing
complications as 10 finances.
An attempt was made last evening by
daring incendiary to burn the colored
public school at Wilmington. Kero-
sene was used.
THE CONVICT QUESTION.
Owing to the condition in which the
Legislature has left the penitentiary
there is great difficulty in seeing just
what is TO be done. The sum of $780,,
000 vas asked for this year. Only
800, 600 was granted. The number OF
convicts allowed TO the Board of Edu-
cation is 32J, and to the Cape-Fear and
Yadkin-Valley railway go. All these
are to be maintained by the State-that
is, their expenses will be chargeabie
directly to the pententiary. Then
fifty more convicts were granted on the
same terms to the county Of Madison
for the construction of turnpike. The
warden OF the penitentiary, very pru-
dent, sensible, man. said to your cor
respondent to-day that he really didn't
see how matters could be fixed. The
penitentiary authorities are taken at a
shameful disadvantage by the Legisla-
ture. In one breath that body said
that 625 convicts must be furnished free
Of cost in the next it said that the
convicts in the penitentiary must
be so placed as to make that institu-
ton as nearly self-sustaining as posi-
bic. Now that was blowing hot and
cold, with vengeance.
AN AMIABLE ATTORNEY.
Apropos Of the Legislature quite a
good story is told on an attorney Of
prominence in the State. A bill was
before the House providing for the
charter of the Monkey-Island Club.
This is a shooting club on CurTituck
sound. AS you have been Informed,
there is not vast amount of good feel
ing between the average native of that
favored region and the northern sports
man. The latter wants the earth-and
The water as well-and generally getsit.
The bill was up and the lawyer in ques-
ton was moving about actively among
themembers. depressed an eastern man
70 support the bill. The eastern man
demurred, saying: 81 don't see how
can support this bill. These Yankee
club-peOple come down in our country
and shoot all around and over our ma
tive PEOPLE. If the latter even 50 much
as dare to come near q beach or marsh
they would Just as soon shoot one OF
our people rs not" The attorney was
in despair. In q moment he frightened
up. "Tll do anything if you'll only
vote for the bill, d." said he. I'm tell
Won what III do. ON have the bill
so amended (this with a generous smile
and warm grasp of the members handl
as to make it n misdemeanor If one OF
the club shoots native" After this
never say that North Carolina lawyer
is not sharp.
FISHERMEN AS BIRD-CATCHERS.
This is the season for the red breasted
robin, as toothsome as he is pretty.
Abundant as these birds are in the up
country, they are as nothing compared
with the number of those on the coast
In the morning and evening they fly
up and down tie "banks" in gangs of
millions. The strips OF beach are mar
row, and it is always easy to know
Just where the birds hy, since theypur-
sue certain route. So the fishermen
this being duh season--cmploy their
seines in catching birds They set the
seines between tall poles on the beach
and catch thousands of robins IN a
morning or afternoon. AT one "hight d"
man caught over 1000. He put
away half for food for his family and
shipped the others. On Bogue banks,
with small net, last Monday, Mr..
Ross caught 500 robins The birds fly
quite low, and do not observe the net ut
all. The people who have set the nets
are always concealed near by.
CRniEs AND CASUALTIES.
Stark Simpson, the negro who was
concerned in the murder of Alonzo
Owens III Washington county, is under
sentence to be hanged May 3lst. He
is in jail, and appears to be entirely
unconcemed as to his fate. a petition
has been sent to Governor Scales asking
a communication of sentence to life I'M
prisonment. Simpson thinks he will be
saved from the gallows. He was sort
of witness for the State, and Is yet the
self.confessed principal in most brutal
murder. The other two persons con-
cerned-Owenss wife and Isaac Jones,
negro preacher, are in the peniten-
tiaTy.
News of another murder has come
from Swain county. a man. named
Jesse Tabor was found dead in the
woods. He had been missing a week.
His dog remained by the body all the
time, and was reduced almost to q skele-
ton. The dog barked necessarily, and
this alone caused the discovery OF the
BODY. 4 bullet from rifle had passed
entirely through Fabor's body. Two
men of Swain county, Allen De Hart
and John 2. De Hart, are III jail at
Charleston, the county-seat, charged
with this crime. There is great excite
ment over the matter. 1t is said that
threats against Fabor's life had been
made by the De Harris.
TIsc st. Johns Bank Failure.
fRv teieqraDh 10 the DsDatch1